Lasagna is one of those comfort foods that it’s impossible not to love. With layers and layers of pasta, sauce and cheese, how can you go wrong? To me, this is the perfect version of a classic lasagna and the one I’ve been making for about eight years now. It is slightly time consuming in that it takes about an hour to prep, but it is totally worth it because you end up with a wonderful hearty meal big enough to feed a crowd, or to feed a small family like ours for several days. I usually like to make this on a weekend when I know we have a very busy week ahead so we can warm up the leftovers as needed. The ingredients can of course be adapted to suit your own tastes. I have added mushrooms to the sauce in the past, and I think you could add some more fresh herbs with great results as well.

For anyone who thinks this looks familiar, that’s because this recipe was posted on the blog about two years ago. The picture was horrendous, the instructions were too brief and the content of the post did not do justice to what a great meal this is, so I decided to revamp it and give it the attention it deserves.

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, until al dente. (I always add a couple extra noodles, just in case one breaks during cooking.) Drain and set aside. (I like to lay out the noodles so that they are flat and separated, to avoid them sticking to each other or curling up. It makes the assembly process easier.)

In the meantime, in a very large skillet or saucepan (12-14 inches), crumble the Italian sausage and cook over medium-high heat until it just begins to brown. Add the onion, garlic and 1/3 cup of the parsley to the pan and continue cooking until the sausage is completely browned and cooked through. Mix in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, basil and oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining parsley, ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, eggs, garlic salt, and pepper. Mix well until blended.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spread 2 cups of sauce in a thin layer on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Layer with 4 lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with half of the cheese-spinach mixture and spread evenly to a thin layer. Top with about a third of the remaining sauce mixture, and sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Layer again with 4 more noodles and the remaining cheese-spinach mixture. Spread half of the remaining sauce mixture over the top, and sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. The final layer will be 4 noodles, the remaining sauce, and a layer of shredded mozzarella. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for 10 minutes more. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

nothing quite as comforting as some homemade lasagna :) it’s hard to get good photos of lasagna, huh? not a very photogenic meal!

http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com Bellini Valli

Love the lasagna. It really is a comfort food!! Hope you’re feeling better by now after all this comforting lasagna!!

meandg

My husband loved it. He couldn’t believe the noodles he picked up from the store turned into this dish :). It did last us 4-5 days. Since it is just the two of us I froze some for when I need a quick but tasty meal.

Is this the lasagna you brought Rachel and me after baby was born? I want to make that one :D :D :D

molly

i love lasanga and this looks nice!!

Jackie

Hi Annie

What kind of mushrooms did you use, how much did you use, and how was it incorporated in this dish.

http://bakeoff-flunkie.blogspot.com Tiffiny Felix

Sounds delicious! And I have to say how great your picture is…it is not easy to get a piece of lasagna to look nice for the camera :)

Annie

Jackie, It’s really easily adapted depending on your tastes. I used button mushrooms but baby bellas would be great too. I probably used about 8 oz. but you could use more or less. I just cooked them with the sauce mixture. You could substitute them for the meat, or just add them along with it.

Teresa

I wish you could make cooking videos! I need serious help with my resolution to learn how to cook…learn how to cook ANYTHING! love the site!

http://www.daveandrivers.com Rivers

I have been reading your blog for months. I make your food all the time. Our family moved to Budapest Hungary 7 months ago. I have always loved to cook but living here has taken cooking to a whole new level. Thank you for providing so many great dishes. Last night we had your classic burgers….my husband asked were I got the recipe…I said Annie’s eats….which he replied with well Annie never lets me down. Ha! Ha! Your name is known in our house. BTW I am really grateful for the printer friendly version. I use that function all the time. Thanks again!!!

http://www.cookingandeatinginthewindycity.blogspot.com Erin

I just bought a pasta roller this weekend, and lasagna is one of the first things I want to make with fresh noodles. This looks like a really solid recipe, but I also love that lasagna is so adaptable, so I can tweak the recipe depending on my cravings or fridge/pantry status. This is a great cold weather dish!

Heidi

This lasagna is amazing, best lasagna recipe I have made so far!!! Thanks for sharing, it was def a hit at our house!

Hi Annie – I’m thinking about making this dish for a ski trip this weekend – two questions: 1) How many people will the dish feed? I have about 12 people to feed. 2) Can I make this ahead and freeze? Thanks so much! I love EVERYTHING you make – you’re my number one resource!

Annie

It should be enough for that many people. Yes, you can make ahead and freeze. I freeze after assembling, before baking.

Christine

Wow, this is so good. I felt like lasagna can be pretty standard and often use random jars of sauce but this sauce is simple and much better. I made it tonight for dinner tomorrow night (after eating dinner myself), and I’ve managed to ‘taste’ an entire dinner portion–double dinner for me tonight, yikes!

MelissaR

I made this tonight. It is GOOD!

Kari

I made a couple of these lasagnas to freeze today, but I’m wondering… Do you thaw them first and follow these baking instructions, or do you have separate instructions for baking from frozen? I have the same question regarding the chicken enchiladas. I’m new to make-ahead cooking, but my first baby is due in a few days, so this sounded like a great idea! My husband and I sampled everything as we cooked and it was so delicious, we almost didn’t want to save it for later! Thanks. :)

Annie

You should check out my freezer posts. They have the answers to your questions and hopefully some helpful tips for you. Just search “stocking the freezer”. Congrats on your impending arrival :)

MKR

Made this last night and it was delicious! Definitely a weekend meal, but it will give us lunches for all of next week, which is always a bonus.

Stacey

Hi! Expecting a new baby soon and am preparing as many make ahead meals as I can. Is it possible to make this recipe ahead up until the baking part? Thanks for your thoughts.

Already made your baked ziti and have it in the freezer, soon going to tackle the chicken enchiladas and strawberry scones. Thanks for the great posts!

annieseats

Check out my freezer posts (linked on the FAQ page or via the search bar). They have pre-assembly/baking suggestions as well as lots of ideas. Enjoy!